Optimal concentrations in nectar feeding
Author(s)
Kim, Wonjung; Gilet, Tristan; Bush, John W. M.
DownloadBush-2011-Oct-Optimal concentrations.pdf (927.7Kb)
PUBLISHER_POLICY
Publisher Policy
Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
Terms of use
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Nectar drinkers must feed quickly and efficiently due to the threat of predation. While the sweetest nectar offers the greatest energetic rewards, the sharp increase of viscosity with sugar concentration makes it the most difficult to transport. We here demonstrate that the sugar concentration that optimizes energy transport depends exclusively on the drinking technique employed. We identify three nectar drinking techniques: active suction, capillary suction, and viscous dipping. For each, we deduce the dependence of the volume intake rate on the nectar viscosity and thus infer an optimal sugar concentration consistent with laboratory measurements. Our results provide the first rationale for why suction feeders typically pollinate flowers with lower sugar concentration nectar than their counterparts that use viscous dipping.
Date issued
2011-10Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mathematics; Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical EngineeringJournal
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Publisher
National Academy of Sciences
Citation
Kim, W., T. Gilet, and J. W. M. Bush. “Optimal Concentrations in Nectar Feeding.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 108.40 (2011): 16618–16621. © 2012 by the National Academy of Sciences.
Version: Final published version
ISSN
0027-8424
1091-6490